UK Health Security Campus, Harlow – Major science, headquarters and campus infrastructure works

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is preparing to engage the market on a major construction opportunity in Harlow, Essex. The opportunity sits within the UK Health Security Campus Programme: a once-in-a-generation investment to create a modern, purpose-built national health security and biosecurity campus.

The new campus will bring together UKHSA’s specialist scientific facilities from Porton Down and Colindale and its London headquarters functions onto a single integrated site in Harlow. The campus is intended to provide modern laboratories, office accommodation and supporting infrastructure to strengthen the UK’s ability to detect, assess and respond to serious public health and biosecurity threats.

This Preliminary Market Engagement Notice relates to the procurement of a Tier 1 construction contractor for the design and build of the campus facilities and infrastructure outside the separately managed high-containment laboratory building. In practical terms, the potential requirement is expected to include a new science and headquarters building, medium-containment laboratory capability, office accommodation, energy centre, logistics and support facilities, arrivals and education facilities, external works, utilities, site infrastructure and associated campus-wide integration.

The separately managed high-containment laboratory building, which will contain the most specialist Containment Level 4 capability, will be delivered through a separate agreement and is not the focus of this engagement activity.

UKHSA is using this engagement to test and develop the core commercial considerations, such as; whether the remaining campus works should ideally be delivered through a single Tier 1 design and build model, or whether alternative delivery models would improve deliverability, competition and value for money.

The potential requirement would include:

• a new science and headquarters building providing modern laboratory, technical and office accommodation for around 2400 FTE ;
• containment Level 2 and Containment Level 3 laboratory areas and associated technical environments;
• office space and shared facilities to support the relocation and co-location of UKHSA staff;
• logistics, warehousing, support and campus operations facilities;
• arrivals, reception, security, education, training and outreach facilities;
• site-wide infrastructure, a dedicated energy centre, utilities, external works, access, parking and enabling works;
• coordination with the separately managed high-containment laboratory project and other programme workstreams;
• construction logistics, phasing, mobilisation, commissioning support and handover planning;